LAWO mavesi asendulo awaveli eBhayibhelini. Sekungamakhulu eminyaka esetshenziswa ukuze kuthethelelwe ukucwaswa kwabesifazane. Ngisho nanamuhla, abanye abashisekeli benkolo basayicaphuna le mibhalo ukuze benze ukucindezelwa kwabesifazane kwamukeleke, bethi abantu bahlupheka ngenxa yabesifazane. Ingabe kwakuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu ngempela ukuba abesifazane badelelwe futhi bahlukunyezwe amadoda? Lithini iBhayibheli? Ake sibone.

Ingabe abesifazane baqalekiswe uNkulunkulu?

Cha. Kunalokho, ‘yinyoka yokuqala, leyo ebizwa ngokuthi uDeveli,’ ‘eyaqalekiswa’ uNkulunkulu. (IsAmbulo 12:9; Genesise 3:14) Lapho uNkulunkulu etshela u-Adamu ukuthi ‘uyobusa’ umkakhe, wayengagunyazi indoda ukuba ibe ingqongqo phezu kowesifazane. (Genesise 3:16) Wayemane ebikezela umphumela odabukisayo wesono kulaba bantu ababili bokuqala.

Ngakho, ukuhlukunyezwa kwabesifazane kuwumphumela wesono somuntu, hhayi intando kaNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli aliwusekeli umbono wokuthi amadoda kumelwe abe izingqongqo phezu kwabesifazane ukuze kuhlawulelwe isono sokuqala.—Roma 5:12.

Ingabe UNkulunkulu wadala owesifazane ephansi kunendoda?

Cha. UGenesise 1:27 uthi: “UNkulunkulu wabe esemdala umuntu ngomfanekiso wakhe, wamdala ngomfanekiso kaNkulunkulu; wabadala kwaba owesilisa nowesifazane.” Ngakho, kusukela ekuqaleni, abantu—owesilisa nowesifazane—badalwa benekhono lokubonisa izimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu. Nakuba u-Adamu no-Eva babenemizwelo nokwakheka okungafani, bobabili bathola umyalo ofanayo futhi babejabulela amalungelo afanayo phambi koMenzi wabo.—Genesise 1:28-31.

Ngaphambi kokuba kudalwe u-Eva, uNkulunkulu wathi: “Ngizomenzela umsizi [u-Adamu], abe umphelelisi wakhe.” (Genesise 2:18) Ingabe igama elithi “umphelelisi” lisho ukuthi owesifazane wayeyoba phansi kunendoda? Cha, ngoba leli gama lesiHebheru lingase lisho “umlingani”  noma “umsizi” wendoda. Cabanga ngokubambisana okuphakathi kukadokotela ohlinzayo nodokotela obulala izinzwa lapho kuhlinzwa. Angaphumelela yini omunye ngaphandle komunye? Lutho neze! Nakuba kungudokotela ohlinzayo owenza lo msebenzi, ingabe ubaluleke kakhulu kunalo omunye? Cha. Ngokufanayo, uNkulunkulu wadala owesilisa nowesifazane ukuze babambisane, hhayi ukuba bancintisane.—Genesise 2:24.

Yini ebonisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyabakhathalela abesifazane?

Ebona lokho amadoda anesono ayeyokwenza, uNkulunkulu waziveza kusengaphambili izinhloso zakhe zokuvikela abesifazane. Ekhuluma ngoMthetho KaMose, owamiswa ngekhulu le-16 B.C.E., umbhali uLaure Aynard, encwadini yakhe ethi La Bible au féminin (IBhayibheli Nabesifazane), waphawula: “Lapho uMthetho wesivumelwano ukhuluma ngowesifazane, isikhathi esiningi usuke umvikela.”

Ngokwesibonelo, uMthetho wayala ukuba izingane zihloniphe uyise nonina. (Eksodusi 20:12; 21:15, 17) Futhi kwakufanele acatshangelwe owesifazane okhulelwe. (Eksodusi 21:22) Ngisho nanamuhla, isivikelo esasinikezwa yileyo mithetho kaNkulunkulu sihluke kakhulu emalungelweni omthetho abesifazane abancishwa wona ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba. Kunokunye okwengeziwe.

UMthetho uJehova uNkulunkulu awunikeza isizwe sakwa-Israyeli wanikeza abantu—amadoda nabesifazane—izinzuzo ezingenakubalwa ezingokwenyama, ezokuziphatha nezingokomoya. Uma nje babeyolalela, isizwe ‘sasiyophakama ngaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye izizwe zomhlaba.’ (Duteronomi 28:1, 2) Yayiyini indima yowesifazane ngaphansi koMthetho? Cabanga ngalokhu okulandelayo.

1. Babenenkululeko. Ngokungafani nabesifazane bezinye izizwe eziningi zasendulo, owesifazane wakwa-Israyeli wayenenkululeko enkudlwana. Nakuba umyeni ayenikezwa indima  yokuba inhloko yomndeni, inkosikazi ethenjwa umyeni wayo ngokugcwele, yayingase ‘icabangele insimu iyithole’ futhi ‘itshale isivini.’ Uma inekhono ekuphotheni nasekufekethiseni, yayingase ikwazi nokuba nebhizinisi layo. (IzAga 31:11, 16-19) EMthethweni kaMose abesifazane babebhekwa njengabantu abanamalungelo abo, hhayi njengabancike emadodeni.

Kwa-Israyeli wasendulo, abesifazane babenenkululeko yokuba nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu noNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngoHana, owathandaza kuNkulunkulu ngenkinga ethinta yena futhi wenza isifungo ngasese. (1 Samuweli 1:11, 24-28) Owesifazane waseShunemi wayevame ukuyokhuluma nomprofethi u-Elisha ngamaSabatha. (2 AmaKhosi 4:22-25) Abesifazane abanjengoDebora noHulida, basetshenziswa uNkulunkulu njengabameleli bakhe. Kuyathakazelisa ukuthi amadoda aphakeme nabapristi babeya beyofuna iseluleko kubo.—AbaHluleli 4:4-8; 2 AmaKhosi 22:14-16, 20.

2. Babenelungelo lokufunda. Njengoba babeyingxenye yoMthetho wesivumelwano, abesifazane babemenywa ukuzolalela ukufundwa koMthetho, okwakubanikeza amathuba okufunda. (Duteronomi 31:12; Nehemiya 8:2, 8) Babethola ukuqeqeshwa ukuze bahlanganyele ezicini ezithile zokukhulekela obala. Ngokwesibonelo, abanye abesifazane ‘babenza inkonzo’ etabernakele, kuyilapho abanye beseqenjini labaculi.—Eksodusi 38:8; 1 IziKronike 25:5, 6.

Abesifazane abaningi babenolwazi namakhono adingekayo okuba nebhizinisi elingenisa imali. (IzAga 31:24) Ngokungafani namasiko ezinye izizwe zangaleso sikhathi—okwakungubaba kuphela ofundisa amadodana—omama bakwa-Israyeli nabo babewafundisa amadodana abo aze abe madala. (IzAga 31:1) Ngokusobala, abesifazane bakwa-Israyeli wasendulo babefundile.

3. Babehlonishwa. IMiyalo Eyishumi yasho ngokucacile: “Hlonipha uyihlo nonyoko.” (Eksodusi 20:12) Encwadini yezaga zenkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni, siyafunda: “Ndodana  yami, lalela isiyalo sikayihlo, ungawushiyi umthetho kanyoko.”—IzAga 1:8.

UMthetho wawuneziqondiso eziningiliziwe mayelana nendlela abantu abangashadile okwakufanele baziphathe ngayo, bebonisa inhlonipho kwabesifazane. (Levitikusi 18:6, 9; Duteronomi 22:25, 26) Umyeni omuhle kwakufanele acabangele ukulinganiselwa okungokwenyama nokwakheka komkakhe.—Levitikusi 18:19.

4. Babenamalungelo abavikelayo. EZwini lakhe, uJehova uziveza ‘enguyise wezintandane nomahluleli wabafelokazi.’ Ngamanye amazwi, wayenguMvikeli walabo amalungelo abo ayengavikelwe ubaba noma umyeni. (IHubo 68:5; Duteronomi 10:17, 18) Yingakho, lapho umfelokazi womprofethi ephathwa ngokungenabulungisa umuntu ayemkweleta, uJehova angenela wenza isimangaliso ukuze aqhubeke ephila futhi alondoloze isithunzi sakhe.—2 AmaKhosi 4:1-7.

Ngaphambi kokuba ama-Israyeli angene eZweni Lesithembiso, inhloko yomndeni othile, uZelofehadi, yafa ingenayo indodana. Ngakho, amadodakazi ayo amahlanu acela kuMose ukuba anikezwe “ifa” eZweni Lesithembiso. UJehova wawanika okungaphezu kwalokho ayekucelile. Watshela uMose: “Wanike ifa phakathi kwabafowabo bakayise libe ngelawo, futhi kumelwe udlulisele ifa likayise kuwo.” Kusukela lapho, abesifazane kwa-Israyeli babengathola ifa kuyise futhi balidlulisele ezinganeni zabo.—Numeri 27:1-8.

Ngaphansi koMthetho KaMose, abesifazane babenezikhundla ezihloniphekile namalungelo abo ehlonishwa. Nokho, kusukela ngekhulu lesine B.C.E., ubuJuda baqala ukuthonywa isiko lamaGreki, elalibheka abesifazane njengabangabalulekile.—Bheka ibhokisi elithi “Ukucwaswa Kwabesifazane Emibhalweni Yasendulo.”

Ngokwesibonelo, imbongi engumGreki, uHesiod, (yangekhulu lesi-8 B.C.E.) yamangalela abesifazane ngakho konke okubi okwenzeka kubantu. Encwadini yayo ethi Theogony, yakhuluma “ngohlanga oluqothulayo nesizwe sabesifazane esihlala phakathi kwamadoda esiwabangela izinkinga ezinkulu.” Lo mbono wanda ebuJudeni ekuqaleni kwekhulu lesibili B.C.E. ITalmud, eyahlanganiswa kusukela ngekhulu lesibili C.E., yanikeza amadoda lesi isixwayiso: “Ningakhulumi kakhulu nabesifazane, ngoba ekugcineni lokho kuyoniholela ekuziphatheni okubi.”

Kuwo wonke amakhulu eminyaka, lokhu kungabethembi abesifazane kuyithinte kakhulu indima yabo emphakathini wamaJuda. Ngosuku lukaJesu, babengavunyelwe ukungena emagcekeni ethempeli ngaphandle kwaseGcekeni Labesifazane. Imfundo yenkolo kwakungeyamadoda kuphela, futhi kusobala ukuthi  abesifazane babehlukaniswa namadoda emasinagogeni. ITalmud icaphuna omunye uRabi ethi: “Noma ubani ofundisa indodakazi yakhe iTorah [uMthetho] uyobe eyifundisa into engafanele.” Ngokuhlanekezela umbono kaNkulunkulu, abaholi benkolo abangamaJuda bagxilisa inzondo ngabesifazane emadodeni amaningi.

Lapho esemhlabeni, uJesu waluphawula ubandlululo olunjalo, olwalugxile kakhulu emasikweni. (Mathewu 15:6, 9; 26:7-11) Ingabe izimfundiso ezinjalo zayithinta indlela ayephatha ngayo abesifazane? Yini esingayifunda endleleni abaphatha ngayo nasendleleni ayebabheka ngayo? Ingabe ubuKristu baletha inkululeko kwabesifazane? Isihloko esilandelayo sizophendula le mibuzo.